“Congratulations Nigeria” Trends On Twitter As Government Dissolve SARS

Nigerians have started congratulating themselves on Twitter as the news that the Presidency has dissolved the dreaded Special Anti Robbery Squad (SARS).

According to the government directive dissolving the squad, all the officers in the Sars squad – widely accused of unlawful arrests, torture and murder – are to be redeployed, the presidency said, and a new arrangement to replace the squad is being worked on.

Meanwhile, Nigeria’s chief of police said an a team of investigators – including civil society organisations and human rights bodies – would be set up to investigate alleged abuses by Sars.

President Muhammadu Buhari had earlier said he was determined to end police brutality, introduce reforms and bring “erring personnel… to justice”.

Protesters had demanded the unit be disbanded rather than reformed because previous commitments to change police behaviour had had no effect.